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New Puppy!!!!

Hi all

I'm very excited, I'm getting my long awaited CKCS puppy tomorrow. She's blenheim, 13 weeks old and bursting with energy.
I have some things for her but could anyone let me know if theres anything else I need to get before i bring her home?
I have an indoor bed, outdoor house, food and bowls, collar and lead and some toys. ( and plenty of newspaper for the kitchen floor!!!) I'll have the fire on and the house warm but is there anything else i can do to make the move a plesant one for her?
Also if anyone had any tips on introducing a kitten and a puppy i would be greatful!

As this is my first cavalier I'm appologising in advance for all the questions that may follow!!!!!!!!

Congrats! This will be really fun and exciting for you. I have a section on introducing cats and cavaliers in the information section of the website, in 'caring for your cavalier' I think. That should answer most of your questions.

Also just keep in mind these are indoor dogs and the outdoor house should only be for her to play in when there are people outside with her (and then, probably not til late spring -- a puppy will not have the coat to deal with an Irish winter. I'd get her a little dog sweater as she will probably be very chilled when taken outside until April or so. A puppy coat is very sparse. I got Jaspar in January and he would shiver when outside in cold weather until he reached about 6 months or so). In general, these are indoor lap dogs who want to be in the line of sight of their 'people' at all times and can't be placed out in the garden alone as you might a more independent, outdoorsy breed (a collie or lab or gsd, say). However they are very outdoorsy if with you -- mine easily do 5 mile walks and love to hike and swim. But they are miserable if left alone in a garden -- a lot of the rescue cavaliers I see have behaviour problems because they were left to themselves alone in a garden and get separation anxiety issues and so on because of it.

I'd also really recommend working to get her to use the outside for pottying immediately and not go thru the paper stage, which adds a long, long time to the housetraining process. This requires time and effort and crate training really helps with this process (plus makes it easy for you to travel with your dogs -- I take mine on the train for example, they stay next to me in a crate curled up together -- just took them to Tralee from Dublin in this way!). A good housetraining book to order from amazon.co.uk is Shirlee Kalstone's How to Housetrain a Dog in Seven Days (it will take longer, but you;ll have much of the job done in 7 days).

I have more links in the information section on what to get for a puppy. I recommend reading the pages on getting a cavalier (including a list of things you will need) at www.roycroftcavaliers.com .

Thanks all
I cant wait until this evening!!!
I have and empty memory card ready to fill with pictures!!!
just worried about the kitten, I introduced her to a Lab x Collie at the weekend and the dog was the frightened one! for such a small placid kitten i was very surprised!!!!!
It'll probably be around the clock babysitting for a few days. icon_crying

i can share with your excitement because i now have my own little 8 weekso ld bundle of fur, and shes sooooo beautiful, i am mad about her and so is my mum and my husband, she settled in really quickly, and i have never seen a pup wuth so much energy. she has more toys that i had when i was growing up.
as for introducing her to the cats, it all went smoothly because she wants the cats to play with her, but they are scared stiff of her, so theres no fighting or anything, the cats just dont let her get too close, and as jasmine is too small to get up the stairs, the cats know that thats their safe hideaway.... she has her big puppy cage in the livingroom, and she loves it, and she sleeps all night and shes also really good when we put her into her cage during the day, she just sits down or else she cuddles into her rabbit... and shes using her training pads too.... right now shes fast asleep in her cage but very soon she will be raring to go again, and she plays until shes tired out.... shes sooooooooooooooooo funny to watch and she just skips and bounces about like shes got springs under her feet, and we gave her a shower last week and she loved it, and her coat was so fluffy and shiny afterwards, she just knew she was lovely.
i cant believe i waited so long to get one of these gorgeous little creatures, i wouldnt part with her for anything.
i am also feeding her on a diet called clinivet and i swear by it, shes so healthy and lively and when she sees me bringing her dish into the kitchen shes prances about on her back legs like a little ballerina.
i wish you lots of luck with your new pup, i hope you get as much joy as i do from the little angel.